HAIKOU /China/, October 26. /TASS/. The deep-water port of Yangpu in the southern Chinese province of Hainan is expanding its transport links with Southeast Asian countries and steadily increasing its cargo turnover with them, the ChinaNews outlet reported.
According to its information, Yangpu, located on the island’s northwestern coast, currently operates a total of 68 regular maritime container routes. These routes primarily connect Hainan with major port cities in China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as with countries in the Middle East and on the east and west coasts of the US.
At the same time, Du Chengcai, deputy general manager of production operations center at Hainan Harbor and Shipping International Port Co, noted that Yangpu will accommodate even more large vessels, which will help increase exports from southwestern China and other regions. According to him, after Hainan transitioned to a new customs regime in December 2025, the port’s cargo throughput growth rate increased significantly.
“This will allow Yangpu to reach its design capacity of five million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) per year more quickly,” Du Chengcai emphasized. “Thanks to expedited customs clearance, transit time has been reduced to five days, and efficiency has increased by nearly 30%,” he noted.
ChinaNews recalled that the Yangpu International Container Terminal has a shoreline totaling 1,970 meters, which allows it to accommodate ultra-large container ships with a capacity of up to 24,000 TEU. At this stage, the port administration is focusing on serving extensive transportation networks, as well as transit and interregional routes. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to increase sailings on existing shipping routes and develop multimodal transportation.
Last week, the nearly 399.67-meter-long CSCL ATLANTIC OCEAN, with a deadweight of 188,638 metric tons, docked at the Yangpu International Terminal. It is reportedly the largest container ship ever served by the Hainan Free Trade Port.
China’s trade with ASEAN
According to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, the country’s trade volume with ASEAN member states grew by 27.9% year-over-year from January to September, totaling $994.34 billion. Notably, China’s exports to ASEAN countries during this period increased by 28.7%, reaching $627.76 billion. Imports from Southeast Asian countries rose by 26.6%, reaching $366.58 billion.